Residents Feel Fortunate in Water-Main Break

"I was really scared. It sounded like a big storm," Sophie Coito said. And she wasn't alone in her fear. After a water-main broke last night, residents of Sterrett Avenue found themselves rushing to try to save their homes.

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -

"I was really scared. It sounded like a big storm," Sophie Coito said. And she wasn't alone in her fear. After a water-main broke last night, residents of Sterrett Avenue found themselves rushing to try to save their homes.

"I turned to my oldest daughter and asked her to look out the window and see if it was raining. She said that it was flooding and I looked out and literally saw rapids," Jenna McCarthy-Coito said. And McCarthy-Coito said she felt lucky that the rush of water didn't flood her in-home office with all of her computer equipment.

Neighbor Frances Hammock also felt lucky- although part of her home was damaged from the water, most of the waiter flowed around the major structures of her property. "It was like the Colorado River."

The cause of the break is still up in the air. The most common explanation is the cold temperatures caused it to burst, but there were also other explanations being floated to residents. "What they told me didn't make sense. They said the rain can make the hydrant heavy and it sinks a little and pressures the pipes, but we didn't even get any rain at all." Hammock said.

Regardless of the cause, in assessing the damage, it's clear the damage could have been much worse. "We were so lucky. And the firefighters were so nice. And my kids felt happy knowing that the house wasn't going to wash away," McCarthy-Coito said.

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